Send your best Christmas photos

By W. WINSTON SKINNER

winston@newnan.com

The Newnan Times-Herald is again sponsoring its annual Christmas Photo Contest.

Scenes from last Christmas or the current Christmas season will be judged for cash prizes – and for publication in the newspaper. Photographs of family and church events, outdoor holiday scenes and photos with children and pets have all been entered in past years.

Winning photographs will be published in The Newnan Times-Herald on Sunday, Dec. 23. Prizes will be given for winning photos — $100, first; $50, second; $25, third. Contest rules are:

1. The photograph must have been taken by the person submitting it. No copyrighted photographs can be used.

2. If the photograph includes people, it is preferred that small groups — three or less — are in the picture. The people in the photographs must be identified.

3. Your photographs from the current holiday season are preferred. Photographs from the 2011 Christmas season are acceptable. Older photographs are not.

4. Entries must depict scenes in Coweta County or Coweta County residents.

5. Photographs submitted should be color or black-and-white prints made from a 35 millimeter negative; or if a digital camera is used they must be of good quality and a printout must be submitted for visual judging. In addition to the printed version of a digital picture, the image should either be included on a disk or the original unretouched "jpeg" e-mailed to winston@newnan.com and marked "Christmas contest."

Photographs cannot be returned, so be sure to bring a duplicate. No instant-type photos will be accepted.

6. Only one entry will be accepted per household.

7. The first place winner will be asked to serve as a judge for the next year's contest and will not be eligible to compete in that contest. Last year's first place winner is not eligible to enter this year's contest. Entries may be left at The Newnan Times-Herald office at 16 Jefferson Street in downtown Newnan through Dec. 14 at noon.